The British School in the Netherlands (BSN) is an independent school. It is a non-profit organisation ('vereniging' in Dutch) entirely dependent on fee income and, unlike many other international schools, receives no subsidy from either the Dutch or British Governments.
The BSN is managed on a day-to-day basis by a CEO and the Board of Management. The BSN has appointed a new CEO, Louise Simpson, who will take up the role in January 2026. Until then, the Board of Management will continue to manage the school as a collective. The Board of Management answers to the school's Board of Governors (BoG), which the Association, in turn, oversees. The Association is chaired by Her Excellency, the British Ambassador to the Netherlands.
Board of Management
The Board of Management, chaired by the CEO and composed of senior managers within the BSN's teaching and business staff, is responsible for the management and operational running of the school. This board reports to the Board of Governors, which is responsible for strategic supervision and, in turn, reports to the Association.
Board of Governors
The Board of Governors consists of nine members. Seven members are appointed by the Association's general meeting (see below), and two are appointed by the Chair of the Association, Her Excellency the British Ambassador.
One member is the 'Governor for Parental Interests' nominated by the Governor Parental Interest Nominating Committee; the other appointment is at the Ambassador's discretion. Many Governors have children currently or previously attending the BSN.
| Name | |
|---|---|
Mr Peter Bayliff - OBE |  |
Mr Yalçin Canatan |  |
| Mr Kevin Douglas (SSL) ICT, Security, Health & Safety and Co-Curricular Activities |  |
| Mr Alexander Keighley (JSV) Government and External Relations |  |
| Mr Michael Wardropper (SSV) Finance | .jpg) |
| Mrs Selvei Topping (SSV) Safeguarding, Child Care and Child protection and Communications & Admissions |  |
| Ms Sandrine Dijoux Parental Interests |  |
Mrs Lucy McNamara |
|
The Association
The Association is governed by its Articles of Association, which are registered at the Kamer van Koophandel (Chamber of Commerce) at Den Haag. The Association has a maximum of 35 members who are appointed by the general meeting of the Association.
Eligibility for membership in the Association is subject to a unanimous nomination of all members of the Nominating Committee (which comprises three members drawn from the Association).
| Chair of The Association |
|---|
| Mrs Joanna Roper, His Majesty’s British Ambassador to the Netherlands |
| Association Members | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Mr Billy Allwood | Mr Peter Bayliff OBE* | Mr Yalçin Canatan* | Mr Kit Coremans |
| Mr Graham Day | Ms Sandrine Dijoux* | Mr Kevin Douglas* | Mr Alexander Keighley* |
| Mr Laurens Kok | Mr Ian Laycock | Ms Ilka Loof | Mrs Lucy McNamara* |
| Ms Alison Smith | Mrs Selvei Topping* | Ms Deborah Valentine | Mrs Stacey Vickers |
| Mr Michael Wardropper | Mr Simon Weinberg | Mr Mike Weston | |
*Also on the Board of Governors
Ondernemingsraad (OR)
Dutch Law requires that all enterprises employing more than 50 people have an Ondernemingsraad (Works Council). The BSN Ondernemingsraad comprises eleven elected staff members representing the four BSN campuses. The OR meets regularly with the Bestuurder (the CEO, currently represented by a member of the Board of Management, to act in this capacity as a liaison to the OR) to discuss the school's strategic operation. The OR has the right to give advice and the right to approve decisions taken by the Board of Management or the Board of Governors.